A Canadian Perspective Third Edition Younger Adler Vasta Chapter 16 GenderRole Development and Sex Differences Younger Adler VastaChild Psychology Third Edition Chapter 16 2 Learning Objectives ID: 446330
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Child Psychology,A Canadian Perspective Third Edition
Younger, Adler, Vasta Slide2
Chapter 16
Gender-Role Development and Sex Differences
Younger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Learning ObjectivesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Learning Objective 16.1:
Understand four theoretical approaches to gender development.Learning Objective 16.2:Describe physical, cognitive, and social/personality sex differences that have been found.Learning Objective 16.3:Understand the role of biological influences in the development of sex differences.Slide4
Learning ObjectivesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Learning Objective 16.4:
Understand how society, parents, peers, and the self contribute to gender-role socialization.Learning Objective 16.5:Trace the development of gender-role knowledge and behaviour.Learning Objective 16.6:Discuss the development of sexual relationships and behaviour.Slide5
Gender-Related DefinitionsYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Sex
: biological maleness or femaleness of an individualSex difference: an observed difference between males and femalesGender: differences resulting from socialization
Gender
-role
:
pattern
of
behaviours
that are considered appropriate for a female or male in a particular culture
Sex typing
:
process
by which children develop a gender roleSlide6
Theories of Gender-Role Development and Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Evolutionary
and biological approachesEvolutionary approach:Sex differences reflect the different reproductive challenges faced by mails and females in our ancestral pastPsychobiological
approach:
Genes and hormones set gender-role development in motion; the environment completes the process
Sociocultural
approaches:
Gender roles develop as children interact with their social and cultural environment.Slide7
Theories of Gender-Role Development and Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Cognitive-Developmental:
Stage theory suggests that children develop Gender identificationAbility to categorize themselves and others as male or femaleGender stabilityKnowledge that gender does not change with age Gender constancyNotion that gender is a fixed part of ourselvesSlide8
Theories of Gender-Role Development and Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Information processing models focus on concepts such as:
Gender schemaCognitive representation of the characteristics of being either male or femaleGender scriptCognitive representation of a familiar routine or activity that is usually only associated with one genderSlide9
Theories of Gender-Role Development and Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Environmental/Learning theory
Gender role is learned through experienceSex differences are not inevitableSlide10
Some Perceived and Real Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Physical differences
InfancyPhysiologicalFemale newborn is healthier, less muscular, more sensitive to painBehaviouralFemale newborns spend less time awake, and display less motor activity than do male newbornsPreschoolSex differences in large and fine motor development are evident
Girls have better fine motor skills
Boys do better in activities that require strengthSlide11
Some Perceived and Real Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Cognitive differences
Language and verbal abilitiesFemales have better language and verbal abilities than do malesSuggestion that mothers provide a stronger language environment for female infantsQuantitative abilitiesIn elementary school, girls are better at computation while boys are better at math reasoning problemsBy high school, boys perform better at mathLess math anxiety, more effective strategies?Slide12
Some Perceived and Real Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Figure 16.3
In this task, male and female subjects are asked to mentally rotate the images to determine if they are the same (a) or different (b)Males outperform females in this spatial taskSlide13
Some Perceived and Real Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Social and personality differences
TemperamentFemale infants are more likely to regulate their arousal than male infantsEmotionGirls are generally more emotionally expressive than boysGirls are better at hiding negative emotionsSelf-controlGirls exhibit greater self-control than boysActivity and exploration
Boys show greater activity and are more likely to explore (rough-and-tumble play)Slide14
Some Perceived and Real Sex DifferencesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Social and personality differences (cont’d)
Prosocial behaviourGirls are rated as more helpful, generous, and cooperative than boysAggressionMales are more aggressive than are femalesAggression is the largest sex differenceMales use physical violence whereas females are more likely to use relational or social aggressionSocial Influence
Boys are more likely to use threats or physical force
Girls are more likely to use verbal persuasionSlide15
Biological Influences on Gender-Role DevelopmentYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Genetic and hormonal influences
Prior to six weeks, the fetus is bipotentialCan develop as a female or a male, depending on genetic/hormonal circumstancesXX fetus will develop as a femaleXY fetus will develop testes at 6 weeks of age, the testes secrete androgensAndrogens organize the fetus as a malePeripheral organs appear male (internal and external)Brain is lateralized in a male pattern
Hormone activity in adulthood is set in male patternSlide16
Biological Influences on Gender-Role DevelopmentYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Brain lateralization
Brain hemispheres are specialized for specific functionsLeft hemisphere is specialized for language/speechRight hemisphere is specialized for quantitative and spatial abilitiesConclusions are based on brain damage studies as well as imaging studiesMales are more lateralized than females
Left hemisphere brain damage produces greater impairment in males than femalesSlide17
Socialization and Gender-Role DevelopmentYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Gender-role socialization occurs at many levels—
society, family, peer, and the selfDifferential treatment of males and females fosters the development of different skills, abilities, and attitudesChildren spend most of their time with same-sex peers who serve as an important socialization forceSlide18
Socialization and Gender-Role DevelopmentYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Children imitate sex-typed
behaviours shown by models in the laboratorySources of modelling in real lifeParents serve as modelsMass media portrays traditional gender roles for characters on televisionChildren’s storybooks
are another source of modelling
of gender roles Slide19
Understanding Gender Roles and StereotypesYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Gender role knowledge develops from about two years of age
Children display gender stability by age 4, and gender consistency by age 5Sex-typed labels influence children’s behaviours in terms of preference and performanceAs children grow older, they begin to use gender information to draw inferences about other people and also become more flexible and tolerant of gender role violationsSlide20
The Family as a SystemYounger, Adler, Vasta/Child Psychology, Third Edition, Chapter 16
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Around middle childhood
Children become interested in others as future sexual partnersWhile most children develop heterosexual orientations, a minority of children develop gay, lesbian, or bisexual orientationsMost contemporary research indicates that both biology and the environment are associated with sexual orientation—though the mechanisms by which this occurs remain largely speculativeSlide21
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